Kathmandu — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 13, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed. Search and rescue operations continued through the night, particularly at the heavily affected Aeon Mall, where eyewitnesses reported an explosion and the collapse of the building’s second floor.
According to Akino Sonoda, a public relations official for Kumamoto Prefecture, eight people have been rescued alive from the Aeon Mall so far. Among those rescued, four are in moderately serious condition, one suffered minor injuries, and one was found in cardiorespiratory arrest. Authorities are currently working to determine the exact number of people still trapped or missing inside the structure as joint rescue teams—comprising the Fire Department, police, and the Self-Defense Forces—conduct overnight operations.
The earthquake struck on Tuesday at 4:27 PM local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially registered the quake at a magnitude of 7.1, while the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported its magnitude at 6.8. In a separate incident south of Kumamoto, nine people remain missing after a chimney collapsed at a paper mill in Yatsushiro City.
The tremor caused severe infrastructure disruptions across Kumamoto City, leaving thousands of homes without electricity and running water. At least 45 healthcare facilities have been affected, and the outer wall of a historic 17th-century castle collapsed. Prime Minister Takaichi announced that 3,600 security personnel have been deployed to assist with relief efforts, damage assessment, and ongoing search operations.
Eyewitnesses described the earthquake as exceptionally violent, with one resident recounting a television set falling on them and another describing the motion of the building feeling fluid. JMA official Shinji Kiyomoto warned residents to remain on high alert for strong aftershocks, drawing comparisons to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence that claimed 278 lives.
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